The sun., 1887-02-20
LAYING A WITCH.
How the Pow.wow Doctors OF stony Creeh
Valley Went co Work at It.

Valley Went co Work at Il.
HARRISBURG, Pa, Feb. TO-" Reading that
article in The BUN the other day about WITCH
craft and believers in It down In Lancaster
county" said a resident Of Fishing Creek, re-
minds mo Of q peculiar case that occurred in
this county. not 30 very far from tho State cap
ital either. three or four years ago. Through
stony Creek valley tho old Dutch farmers are
great believers In witchcraft, and not only tho
Dutch. but other residents OF that To-
cality as well. One Of tho best known
families Of that part OF tho county is William
hildeys. He is an intelligent man. known
all along the Susquehanna River as one OF tho
best river pilots that live. He Is known among
his ncghbors and tho river mon as Squire, and
is the Inst man who would be taken as a be-
iever in witches; but unless he has changed
greatly within three or four years, he Is a firm
believer In that superstition. About tho time
speak OF, his daughter Emma, q bright and
good-looking girl, was taken sick with pecu-
liar malady She would be seized with convul-
sions. during which she barked like dog,
made noises like q fighting cat, ,crowcd like
The strsngost thing ' Of ''S ali was ''tasi that
while Will s'a under the inllcnco Of the convIi-
Knew sDn sne netbn talked ns German ~ language she
physicians could do nothing for her. One day.
Timer Timer ss haynE nE suffered in this way for long
she was taken sick she had refused to let ccr-
nnnv sain yb6mnE our man Of the nSighb9rhood aecom
her that ho would hand her over to old Mrs
BOY B6.oyer, who would bewitch her and sho would
aho aS. Mrs; Boyerwas the head Of most respect-
who had gained the reputation among her
neighbors Of being u witch, although she on on
her ftnlnily believed In. witches or charms.
when Squire hildey heard his. daughters
@o dssd ON Tarh sr anS aGitnr i@
~ RHSs IL se5 Il he o s sRaS Ra he
came 9nt she said the doctor had shown o iaii her
Whose pisturo % wss its' iis'. asked Kildcy.
",Old Mrs. Boyer's.' replied the girl.
the casting out q the wi Witch Woai be- sne
long tSg "a and tedious proceeding, which he had not
Ws doetor sd Th9 he %os ay es WitsR
o %Gea Ra X kss smod r. do hs
to Consult him the witch Ge doctor Ga bannea
q black, white, and q brown hair on a shovel,
sas %see KdsS r hs SSs x
OF thH :, hair, sd, oyer I which he 'p9w;;wowed.'
sSd msan to sRds Ros on
that, ashes on the door sill. At shutdown the
2Witeh,s 2'nhs power over your daughter will be
come again Tomorrow WV ''N '''N'''
snr,sG ,sGfo TX hRidsey met No brindle cow and
sprlnkleu tne aSneS according to prescription.
AT sundown his daughter got better She was
awoke awS.okke the house BY screaming that old Mrs.
was worse than ever, and Witch-doctor McLain
said that Mrs. Boyer had succeeded In getting
lock Of hair from a stillborn girl baby,
Which which had enabled her to bronx the
brown hair but he, said he, would succeed
In laying her. He brought some snaky-
looking roots to kldey's house, and asked for
the first bottle that tho afflicted girls half sis
ter gould place her hands on in the cupboard
While holding her breath. The bottle was
tr tnrought under those conditions; Mel Lain put
the thsn roots In nth the bottle, poured water in on
der in the water. ut the same time repeating q
strange jargon. He then nsked for an old ham
mer. One was found. He took the hammer
and went outdoors He was gone fifteen min
utes. When he returned he walked to tho bed
side OF his patient. Drawing the hammer back
Now III kill the witch. old Mrs. Boyerp
He brought the hammer down gently
against the girls temple three times Then he
took the hammer and threw 1t outdoors. and
-, II your spotted COW, kicks when you milk
what the witches want you to do and that will
break the charm. have settled Mrs Boyer.
She will die in seven months. When they bury
her her coffin will burst OPEN
This sort Of thing wenton until the neigh
borhood was excited against Mrs. Boyer. and
rested on q charge Of defamation Of character,
and the witch doctor was bound over to appear
at court for trial. have never heard anything
about 1t since. and gness asking the aid OF
the law In the affair did what the witch doctor
failed to do. cured the Kildey girl Of witches"